Parvotettix

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Parvotettix
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Family: Rhaphidophoridae
Subfamily: Macropathinae
Tribe: Macropathini
Genus: Parvotettix
Richards, 1968

Parvotettix is an extant [1] genus of cave cricket [2] from the order Orthoptera in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to Tasmania, Australia. [3] [1] The genus was established in 1968 by Aola Richards and contains six species she described. [4] Parvotettix is a sister group to the subfamily Macropathinae, forming a paraphyletic Australian grouping. [1]

Contents

Habitat

Parvotettix occupy epigean, subterranean habitats. [5] Parvotettix were initially discovered in limestone caves. [3] Various species within the genus Parvotettix inhabit environmental structures such as mine adits, large rock crevices, tree logs, caves, burrows created by other animals and within houses. [5] Parvotettix thrive in dark, moist environments in colder temperatures [5] [3] at sea level. [2]

There is no threatening conservation risk associated with Parvotettix. [6] Environmental factors that increase vulnerability for Parvotettix include predation by rodents that are introduced to the area, interspecific competition, climate change impacts and illegal capture by humans. [6]

Geographic distribution of members of the genus Parvotettix, in Tasmania, Australia. Data was retrieved from inaturalist sightings of Parvotettix. Map of Australia displaying geographic distribution of Parvotettix.png
Geographic distribution of members of the genus Parvotettix, in Tasmania, Australia. Data was retrieved from inaturalist sightings of Parvotettix.

Geographical origin

The lineage Parvotettix is sister to all cave cricket species in the Southern Hemisphere, [1] suggesting dispersal from Tasmania around the globe. [7] None of the Macropathinae have wings so their distribution has been suggested to date to Gondwana breakup. [7] [1] The six species of Parvotettix are not closely related to other Australian genera in Tasmania (e.g. Micropathus ) or genera in south-eastern mainland (e.g. Novotettix ). [2] [1] The dispersal of Parvotettix from or to Tasmania may have been facilitated by a land bridge which connected the areas of Wilson's Promontory, Victoria and Flinders Island, Tasmania in the Pleistocene period until approximately 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. [2] Species of Parvotettix have been observed on Cape Barren Island and Flinders Island. [2] Relationships among the six Parvotettix species might be explained by geographic isolation and connection as during the Pleistocene era the Furneaux Islands and north-eastern Tasmania were joint together, [2] and 1,500 years after the linkage between Wilson's Promontory and Flinders Island, a land bridge formed joining Flinders Island and Tasmania. [2]

Morphology

Parvotettix are wingless, [1] have short setae covering the body surface, long thin legs with apical spines and long antennae that narrows near the tip. [8] Parvotettix have a segmented body where from segment four, the length of each segment is approximately the same whilst segments become reduced in size. [8] Maxillary palps with the third and fourth segments being of approximate length to each other. [8] They also possess coxa and a spine. [8]

Species

Related Research Articles

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Macropathus is a genus of cave wētā in the family Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand.

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<i>Pharmacus</i> Genus of orthopteran insects

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<i>Pleioplectron</i> Genus of orthopteran insects

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<i>Tasmanoplectron isolatum</i>

Tasmanoplectron isolatum is a rare nocturnal species of cave cricket, and is the only species represented in the genus Tasmanoplectron, belonging to the family Rhaphidophoridae. In 1971, Aola M. Richards was first to describe this species in Tasmania, Australia, where its geographical distribution is restricted to. The genus is thought to have affinities with New Zealand fauna due to its marked differences from the other Australian Rhaphidophoridae.

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Cavernotettix is a genus of cave crickets in the family Rhaphidophoridae, in South-Eastern Australia and Tasmania. There are five species in the genus Cavernotettix. The genus was first described by New Zealand entomologist Aola Richards in 1966.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Beasley-Hall, Perry G.; Tierney, Simon M.; Weinstein, Phillip; Austin, Andrew D. (September 2018). "A revised phylogeny of macropathine cave crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) uncovers a paraphyletic Australian fauna". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 126: 153–161. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.04.024. PMID   29678644. S2CID   5021183.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Richards, Aola (December 1972). "The distribution and possible origins of Tasmanian cave crickets" (PDF). In Proceedings 8th National Conference, Australian Speleological Federation: 85–87.
  3. 1 2 3 Richards, Aola (5 December 1971). "The Rhaphidophoridae (Orthoptera) of Australia. Part 9. The distribution and possible origins of Tasmanian Rhaphidophoridae, with descriptions of two new species" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 13 (3–4): 575–587.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "genus Parvotettix Richards, 1968: Orthoptera Species File". orthoptera.speciesfile.org. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  5. 1 2 3 Richards, Aola (20 August 1974). "The Rhaphidophoridae (Orthoptera) of Australia. Part II. New species from the Bass Strait islands and Tasmania" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 16: 245–260.
  6. 1 2 "Cave Cricket - Threatened Species Link". www.threatenedspecieslink.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  7. 1 2 Allegrucci, Giuliana; Sbordoni, Valerio (2019). "Insights into the molecular phylogeny of Rhaphidophoridae, an ancient, worldwide lineage of Orthoptera". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 138: 126–138. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.032. ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   31132518. S2CID   167220487.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Richards, Aola (10 May 1968). "The Rhaphidophoridae (Orthoptera) of Australia, part 6: two new species from Northern Tasmania" (PDF). Pacific Insects. 10 (1): 168.
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